Swastika-tattooed Officer Fired

BOYNTON BEACH -- David Demarest, the Boynton Beach police officer who had a swastika tattooed on his leg and bragged about it, was fired by City Manager J. Scott Miller on Friday.

``Your tattooing of a swastika and CM 92 (signifying Charles Manson and his parole date 1992) on your body and `showing it off` has sent an unacceptable message to the public (racist symbols), and in essence has breached the public confidence, which cannot be regained,`` Miller wrote to Demarest.

The termination was effective on Friday. Demarest, who has worked on the police force since 1988, has 14 calendar days to file an appeal. He also can arbitrate his dismissal under the terms of the collective bargaining unit.

Neither Demarest nor a union representative could be reached for comment on Friday.

``I think there was absolutely no other alternative,`` City Commissioner Lynne Matson said. ``He was hired to defend our Constitution and this just flies in the face of all of our freedom. I respect and admire Scott Miller for doing this.``

Demarest, 25, was placed on administrative leave on Dec. 6, when authorities found out about the tattoo. He was suspended without pay in January after an internal investigation.

During a pre-termination hearing, Demarest told Miller his alcohol dependency led to his actions. Miller said while he considered Demarest`s alcohol problem, he still agreed with Police Chief Edward G. Hillery that Demarest could not be restored to a position of confidence within the department.

Hillery recommended to Miller that Demarest be fired. Through a spokesman, Hillery declined comment on Friday.

``It is beyond my comprehension how an individual who is sworn to uphold the law, and to be completely without prejudice when doing so, could have such an emblem indelibly painted on his body and then go about the station freely displaying it to others,`` Hillery said in a letter to Miller earlier this month.

Based on interviews with Demarest and other officers, Deputy Chief Jack DeLoach determined that while on a camping trip in November in Palatka, Demarest and three other officers, after drinking around a campfire, got involved in a heated argument. During the argument, Demarest threatened to get a swastika tattooed on his body, which he did the next day.

Jack College, owner of the East Palatka tattoo parlor, told DeLoach that Demarest was not drunk when he came for the tattoo.

When Demarest returned to work, he showed at least six officers the tattoo and told them that the initials ``C.M.`` underneath it stood for one of his idols, Charles Manson.

The officers who saw the tattoo told DeLoach they were disgusted.

``Your voluntarily exhibiting your tattoo to fellow officers did in fact infringe on the rights of your fellow employees, was completely inappropriate, symbolized an attitude of prejudice; and said action by you is deemed to be a deterrent in the work force operations and totally illegal,`` Miller wrote on Friday.

``I am glad to see that he was terminated,`` Vice Mayor Edward Harmening said on Friday. ``He was a pretty good cop until a few years ago. He had problems.``